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In a study published in December 2015 in a peer review journal researchers from Japan and Poland found that a commonly used antibiotic might assist in the treatment of Myotonic Dystrophy. This is a sort of stunning discovery as there is no treatment identified to treat the disease. Treatment now consists of reducing symptoms.

The researchers first began by screening antibiotics. In a screen of 20 antibiotics 2-3 were found to have some potential with the disease.When screening the drugs they first used mice cells and lab equipment to find the most promising compounds (drugs). . Erythromyicin was found to have the highest attraction to the RNA CUG expansion (The opposite of CTG repeats in the DNA) Erythromycin was the drug that the researchers chose to study. Click here for the screening graph Muscleblind and Various antibiotics and compounds

A new case study has found that some patients with short DM repeats less than 100 who may not have symptoms of the disease may in fact be troubled with cardiac issues. Here is a full text of the study’s conclusions

This case shows that MD1 with <100 CTG repeats may
exclusively manifest cardiologically, that family screening
for MD1 is important even in asymptomatic patients, and
that MD1 may initially manifest with atypical clinical features.
Muscle biopsy in MD1 may be misleading and may
indicate glycogenosis. Close cardiac follow-up is important
if MD1 manifests cardiologically to prevent syncope or SCD.

This week ISIS pharmaceuticals announced the commencement of recruiting for Phase I of the Myotonic Dystrophy Drug Trial. This is tremendous news for the myotonic dystrophy community. The promise of scientific research to define the DNA site, identify the cause of the disease, then begin to develop treatments that would reverse the problems in the cell are culminating to the promise of hope for all that suffer from this horrible affliction.

If you want to participate in this study you must act quickly and contact the centers that are conducting the research. Find the closest location and contact the person via email or phone. You must meet all (meaning all) the qualifications for the trial. The full information is on CLINICALTRIALS